But, one of the Rays biggest arms is missing. James Shields is gone and the Rays have to figure out how to plug that hole in the starting rotation.

One early option is fourth-year pitcher, Jeremy Hellickson. He will be asked to shoulder some of the load after a so-so 2012 season. In 14 of his 31 starts, he failed to make it through six innings.

This year, his goal is to stay on the mound longer and hit the magical mark of 200 innings pitched.

He plans to put what he learned from Shields into practice.

"I thought I worked out hard up until the years I met him," said Hellickson. "Just watching him the last few years, I know I wasn't working out as hard as I should."

Hellickson hasn't stolen any of Shields' specific training techniques but has focused in on a goal that his former teammate achieved a half dozen times in a Tampa Bay uniform: throw 200 innings in a season.